壊す · godan verb (-su)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 壊す | 壊さない |
| Polite | 壊します | 壊しません |
| Past polite | 壊しました | 壊しませんでした |
| Past | 壊した | 壊さなかった |
| Te-form | 壊して | 壊さないで |
| Desire | 壊したい | 壊したくない |
| Potential | 壊せる | 壊せない |
| Passive | 壊される | 壊されない |
| Causative | 壊させる | 壊させない |
| Causative passive | 壊させられる | 壊させられない |
| Volitional | 壊そう | |
| Polite volitional | 壊しましょう | |
| Imperative | 壊せ | 壊すな |
| Conditional | 壊せば | 壊さなければ |
| Tara conditional | 壊したら | 壊さなかったら |
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
Transitive physical use: to make an object, machine, building, etc. stop being intact or usable. The intransitive counterpart is 壊れる.
The child broke the remote control.
They demolished the old house and turned the site into a parking lot.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
Used for harming a condition, health, mood, relationship, plan, or other non-physical state, as well as damaging something's value or function.
I overdid it and damaged my health.
That one remark spoiled the pleasant mood.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
break a bill; change into smaller money
Money-changing use, especially for changing a large bill into smaller bills or coins. 崩す or 両替する is often more standard, but こわす is also used in this sense.
I needed coins, so I broke a 10,000-yen bill.
They tore down the old house and built a new apartment.
His one remark ended up ruining the travel plan.
A small misunderstanding ended up ruining their relationship.
壊す can mean to ruin an overall condition, mood, or plan, while 傷つける specifically means to hurt someone's feelings or damage a reputation.
壊す is the general word for breaking or damaging something, while 潰す specifically suggests crushing or flattening it out of shape.
壊す means to break something destructively (like a machine or object), while 折る specifically means to snap something along a joint or line, or to fold it.
壊す means to break or destroy something so it stops functioning, while 砕く focuses specifically on smashing something into small pieces or powder.
壊す emphasizes breaking something into pieces or rendering it non-functional, while 破る often implies tearing or ripping a flexible material.
壊す means 'to break' or destroy something completely, while 痛める (in its damage sense) implies lesser harm like spoiling or weakening without full destruction.
壊す usually means to physically break an object, while 滅ぼす refers to the complete downfall of an abstract or large-scale entity like a country.
壊す means to physically break or destroy something, while 乱す is about disrupting order or arrangement, not necessarily breaking it.
壊す means to destroy or break something, contrasting with 築き上げる's meaning of constructing it up from nothing.
destruction; demolition; smashing apart · uchikowashi riots; Edo-period destructive urban riots